Dog Narrowly Escapes Death After Being Mauled By Mountain Lion

VICTORVILLE (CBSLA.com) — Wendy Sausedo came home last Thursday to find a blood-soaked Labrador Retriever lying on her driveway.

The Victorville resident said the yellow dog was at death’s door.

“She was in bad, bad shape, breathing really hard, beat up; it was like her last breath. I was terrified for her,” Sausedo said.

She called her friend Nicole Larr, who works with the Purrfect Pet Kitten Rescue, and they immediately took the lab to an animal hospital.

“There was a puncture wound through the top of her eye, into her eye, and then part of her nose was ripped off, and she was blowing blood bubbles,” Larr said.

The veterinarian told them the dog was mauled by a mountain lion.

Owners later identified the 3-year-old pooch as Meela and say she walked five miles to get to Sausedo’s home.

Pictures show just how swollen Meela’s head became and the dog’s face is still covered in bite marks.

(credit: CBS)

“Her eye was just, it looked like mush, honestly it didn’t even look like an eye; I’m shocked she still has her eye,” Larr said. “At first, they didn’t think they were going to be able to save her eye.”

Meela has spent the last week on the receiving end of some serious medical care and TLC, and is on the road to recovery. She’s eating, drinking and walking around, albeit with a slight limp, and becoming more social by the minute.

“She was meant to find her way here for some reason, I guess,” Sausedo said. “I think, to have a happy life, she needs to be somewhere far, far away from the desert – far, far away from mountain lions.”

Meela’s owners have come forward but decided not to keep her. This sweet-natured dog will be up for adoption in a month. For more information contact Purrfect Pet Rescue on Facebook.